October 2017

Shaheed El-Hafed, Oct 16, 2017 (SPS) - The Polisario Front has welcomed the forthcoming visit of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Horst Koehler, and reiterated the willingness to cooperate constructively for the completion of the decolonization of the last colony in Africa, through enabling the Sahrawi people to its inalienable right to self-determination and independence.

Sochi (Russia), Oct. 15, 2017 (SPS) The XIX World Youth and Students Festival kicked off on Saturday with conferences bearing the names of the leaders to whom this world event is dedicated, including that of Martyr President Mohamed Abdelaziz, symbol of the struggle against colonialism.
The representative of the Polisario Front in Moscow, Ali-Salem Mohamed-Fadel, and the representative of UJSARIO, Omar Hassana, highlighted the journey of Martyr President Mohamed Abdelaziz, who for 40 years led the Saharawi struggle against the Moroccan occupation.

Gulemim (South of Morocco), October 15, 2017 (SPS) - The administration of the local prison of Bozkarn, Morocco, on Friday transferred human rights defender and Saharawi political prisoner Yahia Mohamed Hafed to the regional hospital of Gulemim (about 40 kilometers south of Bozkarn) due to deteriorated of his health after several months of disregard.

Algiers, Oct 14, 2017 (SPS) - Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for Western Sahara Horst Kohler will pay, on 18-19 October, a visit to the Sahrawi refugee camps, announced on Friday the ambassador of the Sahrawi Republic to Algiers.
It is Kohler’s first visit to the region since his appointment in September by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as his personal envoy for Western Sahara, replacing Christopher Ross.

Algiers, Oct 12, 2017 (SPS) – - Sahrawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Salem Ould Salek reaffirmed Wednesday, in Algiers, the “sincere” willingness of the Sahrawi leaders to cooperate with the United Nations (UN) and its mission in Western Sahara for the decolonization of the occupied Sahrawi territories, on the basis of the agreement of 1991, welcoming the expected visit to Western Sahara of the personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for Western Sahara Horst Kohler.
 

London, Oct 12, 2017 (SPS) – Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) warned the European companies against the risks of illegal trade with Morocco, that involves products from the Sahrawi occupied territories.
Following a call to tender launched by the Moroccan government for the extension of the agricultural area in Dakhla, in the Sahrawi occupied territories, WSRW warned the companies which would be attracted by this project, about the "serious legal, moral and financial risks."

Algiers (Algeria), Oct 12, 2017 (SPS) - Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, member of the National Secretariat of the Frente  POLISARIO and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), said today at a press conference in the Algerian capital, Algiers, that "France is obstructing the holding of a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara," adding that the same country "prevents through the Security Council that MINURSO fulfill its mandate, which is to organize a referendum for that the Saharawi people can decide their future ".

New York, Oct 11, 2017 (SPS) - The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) adopted on Tuesday a draft resolution reiterating the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
The Fourth Committee welcomed "the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy (to reach) a mutually acceptable solution that guarantees self-determination of Western Sahara people," said the draft resolution, which recalled the responsibility of the United Nations towards the Sahrawi people.

New York, Oct 10, 2017 (SPS) – The Panamanian delegation at the General Debate of the Fourth Committee on Decolonization expressed its strong support for a "just, durable and mutually acceptable political solution, providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, within the framework of provisions in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. "

Chahid El Hafed (Sahrawi refugee camps), Oct 11, 2017 (SPS) - More than 100 NGOs demanded in an open letter from the President of the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC) to send delegates to the Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik, sentenced to heavy penalties by a Moroccan court last July in a trial,  deemed unjust and contrary to international law.
 

Brussels, Oct 10, 2017 (SPS) - The head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini of Italy, clarified in a response on behalf of the European Commission that "Western Sahara remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory" and that the final status of said territory, "be settled through a process of negotiations sponsored by the United Nations".

New York, Oct 10, 2017 (SPS) - The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations, Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins, reiterated at the Fourth Committee (Decolonization) that "the General Assembly has the full responsibility of culminating the process of decolonization of Western Sahara via free expression of the Saharawi people and that" Western Sahara remains one of the Non-Self-Governing Territories that are on the agenda of the Special Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations  responsible for decolonization.

Johannesburg, South Africa, October 10, 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali praised South Africa's position in supporting African peoples for national liberation and peaceful coexistence.
 

New York (UN), Oct 9, 2017 (SPS) - Mr. Carlos Costa, Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mozambique to the United Nations, has said that the lack of progress in the decolonization of Western Sahara continues to be a cause for grave concern to Mozambique, in his statement to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) of the 72nd Session of the General Assembly.

Shaheed El-Hafed, Oct 9, 2017 (SPS) - The members of the high-level delegation from the Canary Islands, who are on a visit to Sahrawi refugee camps, organized Sunday a sit-in in solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners in Moroccan jails, at the headquarters of the national television, in the presence of the staff members and executives of the Ministry of Information. 

New York (UN), Oct 8, 2017 (SPS) - Nigeria’s Ambssador Hussein Abdullahi has reiterated call to set a date for the holding of the self-determination referendum for the people of Western Sahara, in a statement to the UN General Assembly Fourth Committee General Debate on Decolonization.

Johannesburg (South Africa), Oct 8, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary- General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, arrived Sunday morning in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend as guest of honour the opening of the 5th Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament, to be held on Monday, under the theme "Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments with the youth”.

New York (UN), Oct 8, 2017 (SPS) - Dr. Wouter H. Zaayman, Counsellor (Political) of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa has called for the exercise of the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and independence in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV), in a statement to the United Nations for the Special Committee on Decolonisation.

New York, Oct 8, 2017 (SPS) - Representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nations, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed, has reaffirmed the firm commitment of the Polisario Front to cooperate with the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Horst Koehler, in his mission.
Mr. Boukhari Ahmed stressed that the position of the Polisario Front on the issue of decolonization through the principle of self-determination remains a consistent, clear and transparent position, which is the same position adopted by the African Union and the United Nations.

New York, Oct 8, 2017 (SPS) -The United Nations Secretariat on Friday apologized after its news centre released erroneous reports on Western Sahara attributed to petitioners, and promised to closely examine the issue.